ROCKING THE POD

Rockbox firmware brings new features to the iPod and a few other MP3 players. We’ll show you how to install Rockbox on an iPod, and with a little tinkering, you'll have the ability to play Ogg Vorbis files, customize the user interface, and add plug-ins.

Over the past few years, Apple’s iPod has taken the market by storm, mutating from a simple MP3 player to a lifestyle object. Not all the standard firmware functions are popular with users, however. Something particularly annoying is that the iPod totally lacks some features, such as the ability to play Ogg Vorbis-formatted files.If you don’t mind a little tinkering, you can talk your iPod into doing some things that Apple never intended it to do.

To help you rock your iPod, the Rockbox project offers a firmware product called Rockbox. Rockbox has several features that the iPod lacks, for example, the ability to play Ogg Vorbis files, the ability to customize the user interface, and the option of extending the default software portfolio with plugins.

In Irish mythology, the banshee’s mourning call is heard when a member of the family is about to die. The Banshee tool on Linux makes noise too, but for a far happier purpose. This banshee helps you organize your musical collection.